Conveying the complex trade-offs of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices is challenging and made more difficult by absence of an evidence summary for the full range of possible outcomes. We aimed to summarize the current evidence on outcomes of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices.

PubMed and Cochrane Library were searched from January 2007 to December 2013, supplemented with manual review. Three reviewers independently assessed each study for saliency on patient-centered outcomes. Data were summarized in tabular form. Overall study characteristics encouraged inclusion of all indications (destination therapy and bridge to transplant) and prevented meta-analysis. The electronic search identified 465 abstracts, of which 50 met inclusion criteria; manual review added 2 articles in press. The articles included 10 industry-funded trials and registries, 10 multicenter reports, and the remainder single-center observational experiences. Estimated actuarial survival after continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices ranged from 56% to 87% at 1 year, 43% to 84% at 2 years, and 47% at 4 years. Improvements in functional class and quality of life were reported, but missing data complicated interpretation. Adverse events were experienced by the majority of patients, but estimates for bleeding, stroke, infection, right heart failure, arrhythmias, and rehospitalizations varied greatly.

The totality of data for continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices show consistent improvements in survival and quality of life counterbalanced by a range of common complications. Although this summary should provide a practical resource for healthcare provider-led discussions with patients, it highlights the critical need for high-quality patient-centered data collected with standard definitions.